Farmall Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Got this great old forge that has the pan filled with cement. Want to restore it, but first have to remove the cement. Don’t want to crack the cast iron by beating on the cement, so any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 I would try prying the edges where the cement looks loose, it may pop out in large chunks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stash Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Well, the forge is essentially 'clayed in' so I would just light a fire and let the heat take care of things, unless that is a castable refractory. If it is just quickcrete watch out for flying concrete. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HojPoj Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Get an air chisel or hammer drill. If it's cement it shouldn't be an issue, if it's true refractory then you might have some trouble depending on the variety, but then again you may want to consider whether the addition is actually impacting your ability to use it. I second the suggestion to fire it up (slowly) to drive off any trapped moisture, then crank it up to see if it can take the heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmall Posted January 21, 2019 Author Share Posted January 21, 2019 Well, I already have both a coal and gas forge, so was really thinking about cleaning this up and making it look new again and not use it. I have only seen a couple of these tabletop forges. Thought about the air hammer and chisel, but was concerned about cracking the cast iron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Call a concrete company and ask about removing it chemically. I just deleted a, frankly too dangerous to post here, method that won't effect the iron at all. But it's just too potentially dangerous to put in the hands of folk who might not be the really careful type. REALLY CAREFUL is the key phrase. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HojPoj Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 33 minutes ago, Farmall said: Thought about the air hammer and chisel, but was concerned about cracking the cast iron. Then I'd see about drilling some shallow holes to weaken it, then go at it lightly with the air chisel. Unless it's keyed to the cast iron in a lot of places you should only need to get a few big chunks out to clear the lot of it. Even though cast iron is fairly brittle, it's still more ductile than cement, take it easy with the chiseling and there should not be an issue with it cracking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmall Posted January 21, 2019 Author Share Posted January 21, 2019 Thanks Frosty and Hojpoj. Frosty reminded me of what I had forgotten from my youth about chemistry. I checked, and now there is a cement dissolver sold by, among others, Home Depot, that is non acid and biodegradable. I may get some and, after drilling some holes, pour it in and see.what happens. Thank you both for jarring those brain cells. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAG Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Would soaking the cement in water and subsequently freezing the forge do the job. Water expands when it freezes and that might cause cracking. The cracks in the cement could then be levered to break chunks of the cement up and off. Just sayyin', SLAG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 I would take to the edges with a cold chisel, lightly at first to see how it goes. It may crack easily and come away in sheets. If it doesn't you could back off and try something else. Doesn't look like it has bonded all that well, and the cast looks pretty robust. Nice antique by the way. Let us know how you get on, and please post a pic of the restored piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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